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Howard County, Nebraska. Population Howard County: 6,724 St. Paul: 2,290 Healthcare Facilities Coordination with Grand Island Other Coordination. About the CDC Project. Request for Proposals from CDC Host CDC Rural Pandemic Preparedness Conference No money associated with the award
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Howard County, Nebraska • Population • Howard County: 6,724 • St. Paul: 2,290 • Healthcare Facilities • Coordination with Grand Island • Other Coordination
About the CDC Project • Request for Proposals from CDC • Host CDC Rural Pandemic Preparedness Conference • No money associated with the award • Conference plus continued work with the CDC post-conference • 32 applicants across the nation; 1 award • Proposal Planning Group: HCMC, Howard County Emergency Management Agency, Loup Basin Public Health Department, Tri-Cities Medical Response System, Center for Preparedness Education, DHHS HPP
About the Conference • Three day conference, with lectures, interactive activities, PanFlu Scramble exercise, development of post-conference action items • Requirement to help plan the conference content and to work with many partners to complete a comprehensive 190 page Community Assessment Tool for the purpose of identifying current planning efforts and resources • Requirement to create a post-conference report and to participate in post-conference activities on a national scale with the CDC
Best Tools/Practices from this Experience • Community Assessment Tool • PanFlu Scramble • Statewide opportunities to share both through joint efforts of the MRS systems and the Center for Preparedness
What is the Community Assessment Tool? • Provides a list of partners/helps engage partners • Provides information on existing capabilities • Helps identify gaps • Helps consolidate a list of resources
Who Completed the CAT? • 9-1-1 Call Center • Clinic • Emergency Management • Emergency Medical Services • Hospitals • Local Government • Long-Term Care • Mortuary Services • Pharmacy • Public Health
Gaps Identified by the CAT: 9-1-1 and EMS • 9-1-1 Call Center • Local Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Gaps Identified by the CAT: Clinic, Long-Term Care, and Mortuary • Clinic • Long-Term Care facilities • Mortuary services
Gaps Identified by the CAT: Hospitals Howard County Medical Center (HCMC) • Bed capacity • Ventilator patients
Gaps Identified by the CAT: Hospitals, continued • All Hospitals • Rapid discharge • Cancellation of elective procedures • Staff and supply agreements • Crisis Standards of Care
Issues with Completing the CAT • Terminology may be confusing • Individuals who complete may not know all their sector's information • May need modification to fit a community • Partners may not be available
Benefits of Completing the CAT • Helped identify • Assets • Needs • Strengths • Weaknesses • Building blocks • Provided a start to planning • Helped connect with partners
PanFlu Scramble • Multi-Agency Tabletop Exercise (+) • Seating by function • Cards developed and distributed for each patient and fatality– had to be moved between functions and on-the-spot care decisions had to be made • Resources were identified prior to the exercise and had to be discussed and moved during the exercise • Many lessons learned; excellent interactive exercise
What Now? • The planning team and the Center for Preparedness are working with the CDC to obtain final approval on all materials to take this experience to the Hastings community in the TRIMRS area. • After this beta site, there will be expansion to other interested sites across the state. • Recommendation: Complete the CAT!
Thank you! • Randy Boltz Phone: (308) 754-4421 Email: Rboltz@hcmc.us.com • Laura Meyers Phone: (308) 293-0623 Email: laurameyers@charter.net